Echinacea pallida 'Hula Dancer'

Sizes available: Landscape plug

Basics: zones 3-8, 2-3' x 18", full to part sun, flowers consist of strongly reflexed white petals (sometimes with a very slight touch of pink) around a pronounced dark cone on top of tall, sturdy, leafless stems and bloom in early summer, prefers dry to medium moist, well-drained soil, adaptable to lean soils

Common names: 'Hula Dance' is a white cultivar of Pale Purple Coneflower

Family: Asteraceae

Origin/Distribution: This plant was developed and introduced by Jelitto Perennial Seeds in 2006. The species is native to Wisconsin, and east to Kansas, south to Georgia, and east to Texas as well as native to Ontario, Canada. 

Habitat: The species is found in open, rocky, sloped woodland, dry to medium-moist prairie, old fields, oak savanna, pinelands, and glades on calcareous soils, as well as railroad bed edges. 

More: Attractive to various pollinators and Goldfinches enjoy the seeds. After flowering, the seed heads hold up well and are a strong textural rhythm in your fall garden. This is a taprooted perennial that I don't think will take well to relocation once mature. However, the Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder recommends dividing it every 3-4 years, so I guess we will see. Looks beautiful dotted among grasses and is deer resistant. My research indicates that this will come true from seed, but if you also have the species in your garden, I imagine some cross-pollination will occur. The flower is a good cut as is the seed head, but then you miss out on its autumn/winter presence and the Goldfinches miss out on the seed...

Nursery: Landscape plugs from New Moon

Image credits: Jelitto Staudensamen GmbH